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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27973753">Elena, the Guardian</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OtzotTheFree/pseuds/OtzotTheFree'>OtzotTheFree</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Destiny (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cosmodrome, Gen, The Last City (Destiny)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:01:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,426</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27973753</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OtzotTheFree/pseuds/OtzotTheFree</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Follow Elena and her ghost Rain through their day to day life. They've gotta be doing something while they're not slaying hive gods, right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Waking Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“The first thing I remember?” I ask as I take another sip of whisky, “I was outside of a wall, the cosmodrome, but I didn’t know that.”</p><p>“I’ve been there, cozy place,” the Drifter says as he leans back into his chair, still holding his drink in his hand.</p><p>“Yeah, not so much to a fresh risen,” I say as I adjust my legs, “my Ghost told me just enough to get by. He said I needed to move, that it wasn’t safe. I trusted him, wasn’t sure what else I’d do.”</p><p>“You still trust him?” He asks after taking a long sip of his drink.</p><p>“Not sure, no reason not to. But at the time he helped, led me to a gun; we even found a ship, just good enough to get to the city.”</p><p>The Drifter and I sit in silence for a moment. I watch the bartender frame clean a glass and place it on a shelf.</p><p>“What’d you do when you got to the city?” The Drifter asks as a guardian leaves the bar.</p><p>“Kinda just fell in line. Rain, what I called my Ghost, led me to the vanguard and they guided me I guess. Rain and I kinda went our own way when we met this exo, ended up in the Black Garden.”</p><p>“Shit, you went to the Black Garden? How old were you then?” He asks, giving a smile.</p><p>“Not that old, maybe a month?” I say, trying not to sound cocky.</p><p>“Impressive,” the Drifter says, finishing his drink, “figured anyone does anything like that so young they’d die.”</p><p>“Yeah, I was lucky,” I say as I finish my drink, “but I should probably get out of here.”</p><p>“Same here, got some business I need to take care of,” he says as he stands up, “nice talking to you, <em> Dredgen. </em>”</p><p>“Elena is fine,” I say as I stand up, a little ways away from him.</p><p>“You earned the title,” he says as he steps away from the bar.</p><p>“I know, but I’m trying to keep everything calm. I don’t need the entire tower knowing my new title,” I say as I move away from the bar, making sure to leave glimmer for our drinks.</p><p>“Whatever you say, sister.”</p><p>“I’ll see you later Drifter,” I say as he walks out the door, leaving me and the bartender alone in the small room.</p><p>“Rain?” I say allowed, looking at an empty space in the room.</p><p>A small drone materializes out of nowhere, floating in the air.</p><p>“Yes, Elena?” Rain asks, quietly rotating his shell.</p><p>“Bring the ship around, we’re going home for the night.”</p><p>“Will do,” Rain says, blinking a few times before saying, “it’s here.”</p><p>I walk outside, Rain hovering by my side, to find my ship just above the street outside the bar. Rain and I are silent as we transmat into the ship.</p><p>“<em> Dredgen? </em>” Rain asks, as soon as we’re in the ship.</p><p>“Just something he wants to call me,” I say, unstrapping Monte Carlo from my back and hanging it on the wall.</p><p>“Do you know the history of that title?” Rain says with concern and anger fill his mechanical voice.</p><p>“I know, I know, that’s why I’m trying to keep it just between me and the Drifter.”</p><p>“Should we even be around the guy?” Rain says, following me to the front of the ship, “I mean, we don’t even really know anything about him. Not even his name!”</p><p>“Everything he’s seen? I don’t blame him for being secretive,” I respond as I slouch down into the seat at the front of the ship.</p><p>Rain floats around me, making sure not to obscure my view but staying in my sight, “how can we know the stories he tells are even true?”</p><p>“Trust?” I say with a slight grin, turning on the manual ship controls at the same time.</p><p>“That’s hilarious,” Rain says, his shell spinning back and forth.</p><p>“What’s so funny?” I ask as I bring the ship away from the ground.</p><p>“You say you trust the Drifter, a guy who won’t even tell you his name, but not me?” Rain says as I take the ship further from the city, towards the EDZ.</p><p>“That’s just something I had to say. He’s told me he doesn’t trust his own ghost, says you all are just ‘tools of the traveler.’” Our ship continues speeding up, “I really do trust you, you’re my friend.”</p><p>Rain stares at me, his shell making small whirring sounds, “but you’re still gonna run with the Drifter?”</p><p>“I’m still gonna play gambit, I’m getting really good at invading,” I say as we cross over the small stretch of sea before we make it to the EDZ.</p><p>“I guess I’m fine with that, but be careful,” Rain says as he turns to look at the windshield of the ship.</p><p>“I don’t need to be careful, I need to have power. Plus I have you, you’ll always pick me back up.”</p><p>I start to slow the ship down, diving toward a ridge above the salt mines. I stop the ship above a small decaying building on the ridge.</p><p>“Can you send the ship to orbit?” I ask Rain as we transmat to the front of the old building.</p><p>“Of course,” he says as he follows me into the building.</p><p>I walk to the back wall and begin to climb up, I slip through a hole in the ceiling into a small attic space. I take my hand cannon off my hip, placing it on a small table next to my bed, just in case I need it in the night.</p><p>I lay down on the bed, looking up through the small holes in the roof of the building.</p><p>“Remind me again how long you looked for me,” I ask as I watch the clouds cover and uncover the stars.</p><p>“I began looking as soon as the Traveler created us,” he says as he floats around the room, “all through the dark ages. I searched everywhere, I didn’t think I’d ever find you.”</p><p>“What were the dark ages like?” I ask, feeling the sleep build up in my body.</p><p>“Scary, with the city or the vanguard the risen did whatever they wanted. Warlords ruled over the land, terrorizing the mortals and fighting with each other just because they could” Rain moves to the broken windows facing the ridge we were just on, “it wasn’t until the Iron Lords were established that people began to feel safe around risen. Before they weren’t even trusted.”</p><p>“Good thing we’re not back then,” I before yawning deeply.</p><p>“Yeah, good thing,” he says as he turns to face me. He looks over my sleeping body before transmating to who-knows-where.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The New Light</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Where are we going today?” Rain asked in his mechanical voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was thinking about going to the cosmodrome, I kinda miss the old stomping grounds,” I say as we transmate into our ship. I feel the craft begin to move quickly towards our destination.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anything specific you’re wanting to do?” Rain asks, his voice full of either curious it’s or discontent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not particularly. But I’ve read some vanguard reports about new guardians waking up there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It always has been a promenâtes spot for new guardians, I wonder why.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I feel the dirt shift beneath my boots as we touch down in Old Russia. I scan my surroundings, finding that the only living creatures in sight is a pit of dregs that stand silently in front of the mouth of a cave.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before I get the chance to move towards them, I see a bullet fly through the air. Then another.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before I know what’s happening, I see another figure sprinting at the dregs, a hand cannon firing as they move.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I watch in amusement as the guardian takes out one of the dregs with what should be half their clip, before the other sinks a shock dagger into the neck of the guardian.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After the guardian's body hits the ground, I watch the dreg kneel next to its fallen compatriot. I hear soft wails coming from the creature; the sound makes my chest heavy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But again, before I can react I see the same guardian, sprinting from where they had once before, right at the dreg. Before the eliksni could react, the guardian slams a fist into the back of its head. It’s head slams into the dirt, the guardian raises their hand cannon and fires a round into the back of the dregs head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I approach the scene as the guardian begins to rifle through the dregs' belongings.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, how’s it going?” As soon as the words leave my mouth, the guardian spins around and fires a shot, missing me by a few feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah!” I shout as I raise my hands lazily, “don’t worry, I’m with you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who are you? I haven’t seen anybody else around here,” the guardian says, their voice shaky. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just another guardian, came here to patrol. What’s your name, friend?” I ask as I turn my head slightly, scanning my surroundings for anything that could be around.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, uh, my ghost, she calls me West,” the guardian says, rising to their feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice to meet you West, my name is Elana,” I offer a hand, “when did you first wake up?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A few days ago, I think,” West stows their hand cannon at their hip, “it’s hard to tell how long I stay dead for.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where’s your ghost?” Rain asks, suddenly appearing next to me.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, she disappears sometimes, I’m not sure where she goes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, they know that,” the voice comes from a ghost that is suddenly floating above the dregs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How was I supposed to know that?” West asks their ghost.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well she’s a guardian too, she has a ghost, just like you,” the ghost says, her voice slightly higher than Rains.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The ghost floats away from the dregs, “my name is Moonlight, it’s nice to meet you, Elena.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Likewise,” Rain says before I can respond, “what are you two doing out here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m trying to get West here to head to the city, but they don’t want to leave just yet. They said the fallen took something from them after they died.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They did!” West says, their voice straining slightly, “I woke up with a red book, I died, and when I came back the book was gone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What kind of book was it?” I ask, my interest in the situation peaking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know, but I know I had it when Moonlight found me,” West explained, “we- I’ve been following this group of fallen. They came back to this cave, the book has to be in there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it that important?” Rain asks, “why can’t you just go to the city?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They stole something from me. Something that belonged to whoever I was before. I want it back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll help you,” I offer before Rain can say anything else. I can feel his gaze burn into my helmet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?” West says, trying to control his excitement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, but you’re doing the heavy lifting,” I say with a smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>West leads the way into the cave as our ghosts disappear.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you fought the fallen before?” West whispers as we walk past a couple of wall-mounted lights.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Done more than fight them,” I say, trying not to sound cocky, “I’ve beat them, beat them bad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s good to hear,” West says back, “it’s been a little hard for me to last more than a few minutes in a fight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, let me see what you got,” I say as I motion ahead of us. A vandal and two dregs stand just beyond the natural corridor were standing in, the dregs seem to be tossing a ball back and forth while the vandal leans against a wall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” West says, “I can do this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He draws his hand cannon and fires a volley of rounds at the three eliksni. Two of the bullets hit the leftmost dreg, causing it to fall to the ground, the ball bouncing past the now lifeless corpse. The second dreg screams as West sprints toward West.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I watch as West raises their hand cannon, preparing to fire before being struck down by the vandal’s wire rifle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A soft cry of pain escapes my mouth as I recall the first time a vandal got me. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I watch as Moonlight flashes with Light and West stands back up, once again moving into the room. Firing at the vandal that had just taken them down. As the vandal falls, the dreg sweeps West’s feet out from under them. Their body slams into the ground before the dreg releases a volley of sidearm shots directly into West’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yet again, Moonlight brings West back, and yet again West charges in, this time taking down the dreg with five shots from their cannon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, any thoughts?” West asks confidently as I stroll into the room, now stained with guardian and eliksni blood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One major one: where was your Light?” I ask, “I didn’t see so much as a solar glow. Why are you only using your gun?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My Light?” West asks, his confidence gone, “Moonlight was using it to bring me back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well yeah, but what about YOUR Light?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t understand.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t understand?” I respond, a great sense of confusion filling my voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I flick my fingers lightly and a flaming dagger appears, its glow illuminating the dimly lit cave.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is that?” West asks, their voice filled with wonder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just a dagger, just one thing I do with my Light,” I say, extinguishing the solar knife.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you do that? Can I do that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, maybe,” I say calmly, “you just have to feel for the dormant energy inside of you. The Light that flows from the Traveler, to Moonlight, and into you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I watch as West raises their hand, palm up, and tenses their arm. Suddenly small sparks of arc energy flicker from West’s fingertips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is amazing,” West says as more sparks of arc Light jump from fingertip to fingertip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Moonlight didn’t tell you about the Light?” I ask as West raises their other hand, causing arc bolts to jump between their open palms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s just been trying to get me to go to the city. She says it's incredibly important that I make it there,” both of West’s hands are now coated in arc Light, small bolts begin to make their way up their forearms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, well, let’s find some more fallen and see what you can really do. Try and use only your Light,” I say as I look around for the way deeper into the cave.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next group of fallen we come across are standing guard around what looks like a vault door. Three dregs walk back and forth lazily while two vandals rest on a rather small ledge above the vault door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>West looks at me and nods before moving toward the fallen, slower than the last time. I watch as they bring their hand to their chest, take a deep breath, and throw a ball of arc light into the room. Instantly, two of the dregs are consumed by the bolts of arc energy. The third dreg is sent flying backward into the cave wall by the force of the arc grenade.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two vandals react by raising their wire rifles and taking aim at West. But before they can get a shot off, West throws another bolt of arc energy forward, as soon as it connects with the leftmost vandal it chains to the one on the right. A few seconds later, but vandals fall to the ground, unmoving.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How was that?” West asks as I enter the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Way more entertaining than watch you die,” I say with a chuckle, “but really, if you keep practicing you’ll be amazing at wielding the Light. Now, let's go get your book.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>West and I make our way to the vault door, I grab the handle and pull, feeling the lightly rusted metal bend with the strength of my grip. As soon as the doors open enough for us to fit through, West rushes in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As I step into the room, I see a fallen captain guarded by three vandals and too many dregs. The room is bathed in a red glow from dozens of wall and ceiling-mounted lights, stacks of books can be seen in every corner of the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I watch as West releases a volley or hand cannon shots, which take out a couple of the dregs. As West reloads with one hand he throws a ball of arc Light into the middle of the room, the arc chains between the dregs, popping ether can be heard as they are fried. The vandals raise their wire rifles, each taking shots at West.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Moonlight brings West back in a flash of Light, West screams in anger as arc Light ripples around their body. Chains of arc energy flow from their fingertips to the fallen. The sound of popper weather fills the room as the fallen are slowly cooked alive by the power of pure arc energy. After just a few moments of West’s anger-fueled Light, the room falls silent. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t take us long to find West’s book, they knew exactly what they were looking for. Even after helping them retrieve their belongings, I was not allowed to see what was in the book. West claimed that it had to be private if their past self died with it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>West and Moonlight thanked me profusely, for not only helping get the book back but also for making it so that West would actually make their way toward the city. I offered to fly them there, but West insisted on finding their own path.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You are alone here,” the voice echoes around me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I spin around, feeling my heart racing. I reach for my gun, but find that I have no weapons on me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You seek to fight,” the voice says, “but nothing can save you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as I steady my breath, I feel the blights begin to take my body. I try to scream out, but no sound escapes my lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I look forward and see him. Oryx, The Taken King, towering over me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Light means nothing here,” his voice booms around me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I look down at my hands, taken blights covering them. Consuming them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“R- Rain,” I choke out, “please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>My ghost materializes in front of me. Looking me in the eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you see? You are beyond help,” Rain’s voice is replaced by Oryx's, “you are alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I feel tears falling from my eyes as I try to move. The blights crawling up my neck, taking hold of my face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Light cannot save you,” Oryx says before the blight wraps around my head. I feel it tearing through my mind, ripping apart my memories.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I bolt awake in my bed. I feel beads of sweat across my forehead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Elena?” Rain says as he floats above my bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I jump back at the sound of his voice, instinctively reaching for the knife hidden near my bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” His mechanical voice sends a wave of calm over me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I don’t say a word as he floats closer to me, “did you have that dream again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not talking about this Rain,” I say firmly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Elena, I’m worried about you. This is the third time this week.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rain, I said I’m not talking about this,” I say as I stand up. I undress before putting my armor on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Elena,” Rain starts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough,” I shout, “we’re going out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are we going?” Rain asks as I pull my cloak on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t matter,” I strap my rifle to my back and my sidearm to my hip, “I just need to shoot something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I watch as the bullet strikes the acolyte, it’s body crumbling before it hits the ground. I hear screeching followed by dozens of footsteps. A group of thrall sprint out of the building, their feet sending dust flurrying into the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I feel my rifle kick as I mow down the thrall. As the last bullet fires, I toss the gun down, drawing my sidearm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I shoot the thrall in the head. One after another they fall, by the time they reach me my weapon is out. I drop the sidearm, drawing my knife in the same motion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I plunge the blade into the closest one. A second swipes at me, nearly cutting through my shoulder plating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I punch the creature in the chest as I yank my blade out of the other. I turn my head as another thrall throws it’s bony fist forward, slamming into the side of my head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two more thrall jump at me, pushing me off balance. My back slams into the lunar surface, the group of thrall surrounds me, swiping at me and biting my armor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I shout out as I summon the Light from within. Solar energy builds throughout my body before bursting out. The closest thralls are instantly incinerated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I use the energy to create knife after knife, throwing them at the remaining thrall. The molten metal burning through their chitin exoskeletons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the last thrall burns away, I feel the solar energy leave my body. Rain appears as I take a second to breathe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He floats around me, inspecting the damage to my armor. He expands and contracts his shell quickly and I feel my minor wounds heal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Rain,” I say in between breaths.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, Elena.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I watch him as he floats back to where my rifle landed, I hear the gun dematerialize before feeling it’s weight reappear on my back. He does the same for my sidearm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Both loaded,” he says as his shell gives off small clicks, “are we going inside?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are. Eris said the knight here is responsible for the death of at least a dozen guardians,” I tell him as I make my way to the building, “we’re putting an end to it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rain disappears as I begin trotting down the stairs. I draw my rifle as I turn the first corner, I fire three bullets into the acolyte patrolling the hall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I peek into the next room and see a huddle of acolytes, all lazily looking around. I quietly roll a grenade into the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The explosion kills two and sends the other two flying against the wall. As they’re standing up I fire two bullets into each of them, their last breath escaping as I move into the next room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time I reach the final chamber, my armor is covered in thrall scratches and small scorch marks from the hive shredders being fired at me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I peer over the room from the landing I’m on, seeing half a dozen acolytes kneeling behind a knight. The knight is on one knee, bending over a sword. In the center of the room, there’s a cylinder hanging from the roof. Small lights flicker on and off along the surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I check my guns to make sure they’re loaded before dropping off the ledge, the sound of my landing echoing throughout the chamber. At once, the group of hive look over at me and stand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I give the knight a small wave before unloading into the acolytes on my left. After the fall I slide behind a barrier on the left side of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The knight lets out a terrible screech as the acolytes shoot their shredders at me. I reload my weapon before peeking over the cover, firing at the acolytes. As one falls the others get behind cover.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The knight charges me, raising his sword as he does. I jump over him as he swipes it into the barrier, cracking the stone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I throw a knife into the skull of one acolyte before unloading it into the final one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I throw my hand into the air, summoning the Light, a gun of flaming metal forms in my hand. I turn quickly, seeing the knight running at me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the creature raises his sword, I unload the golden gun into him. Two bullets hit his chest and the final one finds purchase in his head. The knight's blade lands on the ground, followed by his burning body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I give a little laugh as I look around the room, half expecting there to be more. Rain appears near the cylinder in the center of the room, sending out small beams of light that connect with the structure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” I ask as I reload my rifle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not sure, but it seems to contain a message of some kind,” he floats to another part of the cylinder, continuing to scan it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you find out what it says?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It seems to be locked really well,” he says as his shell spins, “not sure why the hive would need to lock a message inside their own base.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who knows why the hive do anything,” I joke, taking a seat with my back to Rain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should tell the vanguard about this. I’m sure they’ll be able to break the lock if it was back at the tower.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, send a message to Zavala,” I say as I send a message to Eris, telling her the knight is dead, “we good to go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Zavala said he’d send a team out to retrieve this, and he said good work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go,” I say, ignoring the compliment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time we reach the surface, there’s already a group of guardians making their way to the building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I watch the three guardians, two titans and a warlock, as they make their way inside. The vanguard sigil plastered on their chests.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Elena, we have a transmission from Zavala,” Rain says as I find a place to sit on the lunar surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Patch him through,” I say, trying not to sound annoyed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guardian,” Zavala’s voice says over comms, “we have a situation on Io.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hive or vex?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Darkness is here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The words make my blood cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” I say, trying to keep my voice steady.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a pyramid on Io,” Zavala says, “I understand what you’ve been through Elana, but we need you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I stare up at Earth. Focusing on staying calm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be there,” I say as I finally stand up, ending the call, “bring the ship, Rain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Elena, is this a good idea?” Rain asks, “are you ready for this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Darkness is here. Doesn’t matter if I’m ready.”</span>
</p>
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